My Hero
by twinkinu
Summary: Mabel falls through the portal at the end of NWHS, but Ford saves her in time to bring her back with him. Slight canon divergence. Requested by Barbacar.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So this is a request from Barbacar! I've split it into three chapters (which I'll post all at once) just so it's more clear where I have POV shifts/time lapses. Here's the original request:

* * *

 _Basically it's a bit of slight canon divergence at one point_

 _the idea is that at the end of NWHS, when Mabel lets the portal activate, it sucks her in. Dipper and the others are freaking out when Ford steps out of the portal, carrying Mabel who he sets down gently. Whatever was on the other side, it was apparently enough to make her pass out. Dipper finds out that Ford is the author and Stan's brother, and the events and drama of Tale Of Two Stans carry out basically the same way. Afterwards, though, Ford carries a sleeping Mabel up to bed and tucks her in. That's when Mabel wakes up. She was asleep for the explanation to who he is, but she gives him a big hug and says something to the effect of "I don't know who you are, but you're my hero." To which Ford replies with something to the effect of "Yes, and it would seem like you're mine._ _"_

* * *

"Grunkle Stan, I trust you."

And with a flash of cerulean light, she was gone.

Stan screamed, a loud, resounding, "No!" and he reached out toward her as memories of a familiar scene flashed before him.

All his fault. The only person in the whole world that mattered to him, the only person who was able to put a smile on his face, disappearing in a flash of blue light, consumed by a portal to another dimension. All his fault.

The old man could practically feel Dipper losing any last bit of trust he might have still had in his grunkle. He screamed and cried and tried to rush toward his sister, but suddenly everything crashed down, the blinding light fading to a soft glow.

The portal was a wreck of metal plates and wires, a mechanical mess left behind from the explosion of light. As the last of the blue glow died down into darkness, a tall figure emerged from the rubble, cloaked in a long, heavy coat, his face hidden behind a thick scarf and a large pair of goggles.

But no one was paying attention to the figure approaching them; what everyone was concerned with was the small girl he held in his arms.

Dipper, Stan, and Soos all cried, "Mabel!" when they saw that she had made it to the correct side of the portal before it closed. But she didn't respond.

She was unconscious.

"Put her down!" Dipper shouted, running forward and facing the stranger boldly. "What did you do to her?!"

The stranger knelt down and gently laid the girl on the floor. She was unscathed, and from beneath her sweater the steady rise and fall of her chest became evident.

She was alive.

"You... You saved her?" Dipper fell to his knees and wrapped his sister in his arms, holding her close, then looked back up at the stranger. "Who are you?"

"The author of the journals," Stan answered softly, setting a hand on Dipper's shoulder. "My brother."


	2. Chapter 2

"After all these long years of waiting... You're here. I thought I lost her, I didn't know what I was going to do, but you saved her. Thank you, brother!"

Suddenly, Stan was thrown by a right hook to the face.

"Oh!" He stumbled backward to gain his balance and clutched his jaw. "Ow! What the heck was that for?!"

"This was an _insanely_ risky move, restarting the portal! Didn't you read my warnings?! Not to mention the fact that there are _children_ down here! As well as some sort of large, hairless gopher?"

"Heh," Soos chuckled. "I get that a lot."

"They're your _family_ , Poindexter. Shermy's grandkids."

The man stopped, adjusting his glasses as he looked down at the young boy who was still holding his sister in his arms. "I... I have a niece? And nephew?" He widened his eyes and knelt back down to brush some hair from her face with a gentle, six-fingered hand. "It's a good thing I was there to catch her when she fell through..."

"What happened to her?" Dipper asked weakly. "Is she gonna be okay?"

The author nodded. "She'll be quite alright, my boy. The impact of slamming through a wall between two universes must have shocked her system; her consciousness shut down so that her body could focus all of its energy into regaining equilibrium. She should wake within a few hours, as healthy as ever."

As relief flooded the boy's body, the information he'd received about this stranger's identity finally caught up with him. "I-I can't believe it! You're the author of the journals! The author of the journals saved my sister's life!"

"You've read my journals?"

"I haven't just read them—I've _lived_ them! I've been waiting for so long to meet you, I-I don't know what to say, I..."

"Listen," the author cut him off, standing back up straight. "There will be time for introductions later. First, tell me: Stan—" he turned to regard his brother— "Are there any security breaches? Does anyone else know about this portal?

Stan shook his head. "No, it's just us. Also, uh, maybe the entire U.S. government."

Ford was livid. "The _what?!"_ He quickly tried to calm himself, knowing an overly angry mind wouldn't be of any use in this situation. "Okay," he sighed, "it's alright, we've got a while before they find this room. We just need to _lay low_ and _think of a plan."_

"Well, uh, if we're gonna be stuck down here for a while," Soos cut in, "how about someone tells us their whole mysterious backstory? This better align with my fanfic, Mr. Pines, or I will be _very_ disappointed."


	3. Chapter 3

Once the government agents were all taken care of, thanks to the kid who introduced himself as Dipper— _That really is one incredibly bright young boy; he reminds me of myself—_ Ford ascended the stairs with the girl in his arms, holding her safely against his chest. Her name was Mabel—that's what Stanley had said—and she was Dipper's twin.

She was a brave girl; Ford had never seen her conscious before, and yet he could see that much about her. She had the aura of a girl who never gave up, who loved unconditionally, who would give herself without hesitation to the right cause.

Ford was angry at Stan; of course he was. He could never forgive his brother for what he's done, first ruining his chances at his dream school, then pushing him into the portal, then risking the safety of the entire universe by _reactivating_ that portal... But despite his anger, Ford felt himself placated in some way by the girl's presence, as if she were able to keep him grounded and remind him what about the universe was so worth protecting.

He hardly knew these kids, but they were clearly excellent children, and what's more, they were _family._ That was enough for Stanford to feel connected to them, to feel a desire to protect them, to appreciate reentering this world despite how many times he told himself he never wanted to come back.

When he reached the attic, he set Mabel gently on her bed and sat beside her, ruminating on the impact these little niblings had somehow already had on him as he stroked her hair and thanked the multiverse for bringing her into his arms, for giving him the opportunity to save her, for allowing them both to exist.

It wasn't long before Mabel blinked her eyes open, squinting up at the figure above her. She recognized him; in that split second before everything turned black, she saw his figure face as it rushed to save her. She hadn't been able to get a good look, and his face wasn't even visible when she saw him, but somehow, she knew. She felt the connection, felt his fingers brush so softly against her face, felt the way his breathing seemed to soothe her. To Mabel, that was enough to know for sure that this man was her savior.

She squinted up as she took in the details of his face. "You look like Grunkle Stan," she mumbled, confused. "But you're not."

Ford, who had lost himself in his thoughts, jumped when she spoke. He looked down at her with a mildly surprised expression.

"Ah, you're awake," he observed. "How are you feeling, dear?"

Instead of a verbal response, Ford was suddenly hit in the chest by a small girl throwing herself into a full-force hug.

His immediate reaction to the contact was panic, but he swiftly reminded himself, _This is Dimension 52. I am on Earth. Mabel is my great niece. Hugging is a sign of affection._ He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her to return the gesture, patting her awkwardly on the back.

"I don't know who you are, or what happened, but you saved me," she smiled, her voice muffled by the old man's chest. Then, she looked up at him with bright, sparkling eyes. "You're my hero."

Ford chuckled, stroking her cheek fondly. "Indeed," he smiled, voice soft and comfortable. "And it appears that you're mine."


End file.
